Demo

Space Range Aggressor and Exercise Protection and Risk Mitigation Engineer

US Space Training and Readiness Command
Kirtland, NM Full Time
POSTED ON 10/20/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 2/14/2027

Summary

Do not email application. To submit your resume for this Direct Hire opportunity, click here.

For additional information on other USSF direct hire opportunities visit the Air Force Civilian Careers Space Force website and follow USSF on LinkedIn.

Learn more about this agency


This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Duties

The United States Space Force (USSF) Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) Delta 11/System 9 at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico is searching for a Space Range, Aggressor, & Exercise Protection and Risk Mitigation Engineer (NH-0803-03, GS 12/13 equivalent).

Description:
USSF STARCOM prepares the USSF to prevail in competition and conflict through innovative education, training, and testing across the joint enterprise in order to validate combat credible systems, doctrine, policy, and strategy.

USSF Delta 11 prepares United States space power capabilities to prevail in a contested, degraded, and operationally limited environment through the execution of the National Space Test and Training Complex (NSTTC), aggressors, and exercise coordination in support of development readiness, and weapon system acquisition to support validating world-class capabilities in a highly complex environment, installing and integrating multiple systems, and providing decision-quality information enabling acquisition decisions and cutting edge warfighter tactics and combat employment techniques to execute Department of Defense and other US Government programs.

Serves as a discipline engineer in the Delta staff Advanced Programs Division Integrated Risk Office for the NSTTC's training, test, exercise, and range responsibilities. Develops and provides mission safety, mission protection, and risk management policy and guidance in support of Delta 11, its direct mission partners, sub-organizations, and multi-mission units and disciplines coordinated across the defense space community. Overseas, organizes, and equips Delta 11 and affiliated organizations with necessary mission risk management tools and processes to ensure mission capabilities are effective, and plans, organizes, and determines necessary policies, regulations, directives, programs, doctrine, and procedures for the establishment and maintenance of assigned STARCOM programs. Supports the Delta Technical Director for complementary objectives.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned multidisciplinary space systems engineer and technical leader with deep experience in Department of Defense (DoD), United States Space Force (USSF), and Air Force (USAF) enterprise operations. They possess demonstrated mastery in test and evaluation (T&E), system safety, range operations, and Special Access Programs (SAP), combining advanced engineering problem-solving with program management acumen and executive communication skills.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
1. Knowledge of the theories, concepts, principles, practices, standards, methods, techniques, and materials of multidisciplinary professional engineering to effectively apply engineering theories, principles, and concepts to areas of responsibility. Practical knowledge in areas such as electronics, orbital mechanics, GPS, telemetry, mechanics, astronautics, failure analysis, space control, ground-based space systems, space test operations, satellite communications, system, launch, mission, and safety, risk management, human factors, software safety, developmental/operational test and evaluation, training, etc.
2. Knowledge of the principles of planning, program management, and standard acquisition regulations, practices, and procedures. Practical knowledge of advanced concepts, principles, practices, methods, and techniques to provide expert judgment concerning test programs and operations; resolve complex, unique problems, conditions or issues; or significantly alter standard practices, process and known techniques.
3. Skill in designing and conducting comprehensive studies and developing solutions to broad, important, and operationally relevant areas, sometimes of interagency and international significance. Able to negotiate effectively with management to recognize trends, accept and implement risk-based decisions and adopt mitigation strategies.
4. Expert engineering knowledge of the policies, principles, concepts, guidance, procedures, techniques, methodologies, and requirements in support of highly complex space systems, test, evaluation, and range operations as they pertain to mission safety and protection, mishap prevention, mishap investigation, formal reporting, and monitoring of mishap recommendations. Enforces compliance with risk management principles, practices, procedures, laws, regulations, and current legislative issues as they relate to ground, space, acquisition, systems, test, range, human factors, operational, test, and evaluation programs. Leverages expertise to assess and formulate new policies, philosophies, and concepts for evaluating the effectiveness of DoD space systems and operational capabilities.
5. Direct operational engineering, testing, and/or training experience with defense special access programs.


Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship Required
  • Position is designated special-sensitive and requires a TOP SECRET (TS) security clearance with eligibility for access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI).
  • Required to handle and safeguard sensitive and/or classified information in accordance with regulations to reduce potential compromise.
  • This is a drug testing designated position. The incumbent is subject to pre-employment drug testing as a condition of employment, and participation in random drug testing.
  • Work may require some degree of agility and dexterity when it involves inspecting construction sites or industrial work centers/buildings.
  • Required to handle and safeguard sensitive and/or classified information in accordance with regulations to reduce potential compromise.
  • May be required to work overtime on an unscheduled or emergency basis.
  • May be subject to recall during other than normal duty hours and may be required to work overtime on an unscheduled or emergency basis.
  • Employee must within 30-days of assuming this position and annually thereafter, file an OGE-450, “Confidential Financial Disclosure Report.
  • May be required to travel by military or commercial aircraft in the performance of TDY assignments.
  • Subject to Temporary Duty Assignment (TDY): Approximately 45 days per year.
  • Eligible for situational telework only, including Emergency and OPM prescribed “Unscheduled Telework”.
  • PCS is not authorized.
  • This position will close after 5 business days or 75 applications, whichever comes first.

Qualifications

The 0803 series has an individual occupational requirement that must be met and can be viewed here. In addition to the above requirements you can view the experience level requirements here. Please scroll down to the 4th section titled Professional and Scientific Positions.

Additional information

Employed Annuitants (Reemployed Annuitants): Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. Click here for more information.

Disabled veteran leave is available to a Federal employee hired on/after 5 Nov 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more. For more information, click here.


Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.


How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies as related to the series and grade of the position being filled. Final qualifications determinations will be assessed based on OPM's General Schedule Qualifications Standards found here:

Interviews: You will be contacted by e-mail and/or telephone if your application is identified as qualifying for a position being filled. An interview may be conducted. If interviewed, you will be asked to address the same knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies used to initially qualify your application for the position.


Required Documents

Resume:You must submit a resume that may NOT exceed two pages, and the font size should not be smaller than 10 pts. You will not be considered for this vacancy if your resume exceeds two pages or is illegible/unreadable. Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the resume you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your resume must provide:

  • Personal information - your full name, email and mailing addresses, phone number
  • Education information - the name of the school and the dates you attended
  • Work experience - paid and unpaid work with the following information:
    • Job title
    • Detailed duties and accomplishments
    • Employer's name and address
    • Supervisor's name and phone number
    • Starting and ending dates (If actual dates are not known, provide your best-estimated timeframes.)
    • Hours per week
    • Salary, if applicable
  • Other qualifications - skills, certifications/licenses, honors, awards, special accomplishments, and job-related training courses

College Transcripts (if applicable): Please see the Education section of this announcement for detailed information about transcripts.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.


How to Apply

Do not email application. To submit your resume for this Direct Hire opportunity, click here.

PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.

Agency contact information

US Space Force Enterprise Talent Management
Email
HQ.USSF.TalentAcquisition@spaceforce.mil
Address
USSF - Space Training and Readiness Command
1670 Space Force Pentagon
Washington, DC 20330
US

Next steps

For additional information on other USSF direct hire opportunities visit the Air Force Civilian Careers Space Force website and follow USSF on LinkedIn.


Overview

Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Kirtland AFB, NM
No matching locations found.
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$90,479 - $139,871 per year
Pay scale & grade
NH 3
Promotion potential
None
Learn more about pay scale and grade
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
  • 0803 Safety Engineering
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Top Secret
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
  • National security
Financial disclosure required
Yes
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
SF-FY26-6T-NH-0803-3-SPLASH
Control number
888345900

Benefits:

Maternity & Paternity Leave, Health Insurance, Pension Plan

Salary : $90,479 - $139,871

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